Bed-spring.



R. J. KELLY.

BED SPRING.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE30,1913.

Patented Mar. 3, 1914.

ATTORNEY.

'U' if j ll s'r'rr s PATENT OFFICE,"

RICHARD J. KELLY, OF SYRACUSE; NEW YORK BED-seams.

Specification of Letters Patent. I Patented E1 3; 1914 Application filedJune 30,1913. Serial No. 776,530.

citizen of the United States, residing at Syracuse, in the countyofOnondaga and State of New York, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Bed-Springs, of whlchthe following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in bed springs, and has for itsobject to provide a novel,simple and effective tension and adjustingmechanism in connection with the fabric which supports the mattress. Anda further object is to provide a novel frame which supports the tensionand adjusting parts.

The features and parts of'the invention. will be understood from thedetail descrip tion which follows, and-by reference totheaccompanyingdrawing which forms a part of the specification, and in which Figure 1is a top plan view of the complete bed spring, with parts broken away;

hooks 11.

showing the construction, arrangement and operation'of my improvement.Fig. 2 is a vertical longitudinal section, taken substantially on line2-2 of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is an enlarged detail view of one of-the adjustinglevers. Fig. 4 is a top plan view of the same. Fig. 5 is a fragmentaryplan view;

showing a modification of the tensionmeans.

Similar characters of reference are assigned to corresponding partsthroughout the several views.

In the drawing, 2 represents the side rails, of the frame which supportsand forms a part of the bed spring, 3 the end rails. and 4 transversebars or rails, which connect the side rails intermediate their ends, allof which parts are preferably made'of angle irons, which may becomparatively light and yet afford adequate strength.

6 represents corner irons or plates, which tie the side and the endrails together, and which hold the end rails elevated above the siderails. The corner irons 6 are secured to the rails by rivets 7 Thetransverse bars The mattress is supported by a coarse mesh Wire fabricA, which is arranged in longitudinal and transverse strands, comprisinglinks 8 and 9, which are preferably connected by perforated plates 10,to wh1ch the links are attached by means of integral Any suitableconstruction may he followed for producing the fabric. The

fabric A is supported at its opposite ends wire. Each of theadjustinglevers 12 comprises an inverted L-shaped part having an arm 13, which 1sformed by doubling the a Wire for providing a loop 14 at one end of thearm, which receives the hook 11 of an end link 8 of the fabric, and aloop 14 ad- ]acent the loop 1%. The opposite end of each arm 13 isformed into a hook 15, which engages a perforation in the end rail forhinging or pivoting the levers to the frame. The wire comprising thelever 12 then coiled around the arm 13 between the loop 1 1' and thehook 15, from which it extends downwardly and its lower end is then bentupon itself and formed into a letter S,.for

- providin two loops, 16 and 1?.

18 representsa brace also preferably consisting of wire, one end ofwhich has a loop 18' through which arm 13 passes, the said loop beingpositioned between the loops 14 and 14' of said arm, which holds thebrace in place, the opposite end of the brace havin ahook 19 whichengages the loop 16 of the long arm of the lever 12.

20 represents a relatively large and stout tension spring, whichconnects to the loop 17 of the lever 12 by means of a hook 21, theopposite end of the spring 20 having a hook 22which engages aperforation in one edge of afioating lever or bar 23.

24; represents a series of tensidn-rods, each having a hook at one endto engage perforations in the opposite edge of the lever 23. The rods 24then pass loosely through suitable perforations in the transverse bars4, and their opposite ends are threaded to re ceive crank-nuts 25, bymeans of which the levers 23 are pulled toward said bars for stretchingthe springs 20 for rocking the levers 12 in the direction for increasingthe tension of the strands 8 of the fabric A. The springs 20 operate thelevers 23 in the opposite direction when the nuts 25 are unscrewed. Eachof the longitudinal strands 8 connects at its opposite end with thecorrespondinglevers 12. In practice, there are four of the levers orbars 23, that is to say, two at each end of the frame, and thecorresponding levers 23 connect with the corresponding strandsS, so thatby turning the crank-nuts 25 at the opposite ends of the frame in theright direction, imparts an even tension to the said strands. The levers12 ioo as described. This leaves their lower ends free to move backwardand forward by the flexing of the springs 20. In a full sized bed springthere are seven or eight of the strands 8, levers 12, and springs 20connected to each pair of the levers 23, as shown, and in the preferredarrangement there are two of the adjusting rods 24 attached to each ofthe levers 23.

By the construction and arrangement herein shown and described, thestrands 8 at one side of the bed, which are connected to thecorresponding head and foot levers 23, may be given a comparativelystrong or high tension for supporting a. heavy person, while the strands8 on the other side of the bed which are connected to the other set oflevers 23, may be given a lighter or weaker tension for supporting asmaller or lighter person. In this way, in a mo ments time, my improvedspring may be adjusted and set for providing for the comfort ofoccupants of the same or different weights.

Heretofore the majority of bed springs have had a tendency to sag in thecenter, even when one person is occupyin the bed, and this sagging. isstill moremar ed when two persons are occupying the same bed. I overcomethis defect or faultin a very simple manner as follows: Incase thefabric A of my spring shows a tendency to sag in the middle, I wind upthe innermost crank-nut 25 of each of the levers 23, which draws theinner ends-of said levers toward the middle of the bed, as shown bydotted lines in Fig. 1. This increases the tension of the strands 8 ofthe fabric at or adjacent the longitudinal center of the spring, while anormal tension may be left on the strands nearest the opposite sides ofthe spring. By this means the fabric A will remain substantially levelalthough the occupants lie in the middle of the bed.- When a slightincrease of the normal tension is required, as when children occupy abed equipped with my improved spring,'it is only necessary to tighten upthe nuts 25 at the foot of the bed. But when heavy or grown-up personsare occupying the bed, the nuts 25 at the head and foot should betightened up, so as to give the required tension to the fabric withoutunduly straining the springs 20 at either end.

Fig. 5 illustrates a modification of my tension and adjusting means,which consists .of eliminating the floating bars'23, and substitutingtherefor threaded bolts or rods 27, which connect directly to thesprings 20,

and then wing-nuts, 28 are employed for adjusting the rods 27 andcontrolling the" said springs. By this arrangement each of the strands8' is rovided with an independent ad ustment, instead of the collectiveadjustment shown in the preceding figures of the drawing.

It is obvious that the levers 12 may be constructed out of sheet or castmetal, and that the number and arrangement of the various tension andadjusting parts niay be varied or modified, within the scope defined bythe appended claims, without departing from the spirit of the invention.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In a bed spring, a frame, a fabric, rocking levers hinged to theframe and also to the fabric, floating bars, means for operativelyconnecting said bars to said levers, and means for operating said barsfor rocking said levers.

2. In a bed spring, the combination with a fabric for supporting amattress and a frame, of a plurality of tension levers hinged to eachend of the frame and con-- nected to the ends of the fabric, a series offloating bar's, resilient means connecting said bars to said levers, andscrew-bolts for operating said bars and said levers.

3. The combination of a fabric for sup- I porting a mattress, a frame, aplurality of tension levers connecting said fabric to said frame, aplurality of floating bars, tension springs interposed between saidfloating bars and said tension levers, and means for operating saidlevers and said bars for increasing and decreasing the tension of saidfabric.

.4. In a bed spring, a frame, a fabric for supporting a mattress mountedin said frame, a plurality of depending levers hinged to the end railsof the frame and supporting the ends of the fabric, a series of tensionspringsxconnected to said depending-levers,

and a series of rods for increasing and decreasing the tension of saidsprings.

5. In a bed spring, a frame, a fabric for supporting a mattress abovesaid frame, a plurality of tension levers pivoted to the end railsofsaid frame and connected to the ends with said levers, and a series ofrods con-.

'nected to said floating bars adapted to ull.

said levers toward the middle of the fa ric for increasing the tensionof the same. 7; In abed spring, a frame comprising end rails andcross-bars, a fabric for supporting a mattress mounted between said andrails, iEVQIS pivoted to the end rails of the frame aw} connected to thevends of the fabric, Hosting bars, tension springs con-"- carried bysaid rods for increasing and decreasing the tension of said springs.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature in presence of two Witnesses.

RICHARD J. KELLY. Vitnesses HARRY DE VVALLACE, LUCY. S. SOHENINGER

